Florida's Lionfish May Need To Rehearse Their Final Words

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is trying to get rid of the lionfish.

Credit Creative Commons / Flickr user Brian Popik

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is trying to eradicate an invasive species: the lionfish, which swims the South Florida seas.

It's is a funky-looking, red-and-white striped fish. Its fins fan out like a mane, hence the name. But the real image its name should conjure up is of a big bully.

The lionfish population has exploded over the past couple of decades. Its presence has increasingly hurt local native fish and other sea critters.

The commission is pushing new regulation to kick this bully out of the neighborhood. It’s approved a rough draft of rules that would ban the import of lionfish into the state.

“We’ll still allow folks to go out and harvest lionfish live and sell them in the aquariums trades,” assures Amanda Nalley, a representative for the commission. “You’ll [still] be able to get a lionfish for your aquarium. Just instead of importing more into the state, people will be required to go into the water and remove the lionfish that are already there.”

The provision would also relax limitations on people who want to spear hunt the fish — for derbies and tournaments or wearing certain diving gear.

The rules will come back before the commission in June for more edits and final approval.

It’s illegal to take lobsters out of season or out of traps that don’t belong to you. But Keys State Representative Holly Raschein (R-Monroe County) says the issue is that the penalty for stealing three lobsters is the same as stealing 300.

Proposed changes at Everglades National Park have put anglers at odds with environmental groups. The park's draft general management plan, which includes several variations (or "alternatives"), is currently up for public comment. This Sunday is the deadline to weigh in on proposed measures, which include prohibiting traditional boating in about one-third of Florida Bay.

Editor's note: In the hunt for what to do about the various mix of invasive species found in Florida, we are running a series that not only describes the problems caused by these plants and animals but, well, offers a culinary solution. Tweet us (@WLRN) your ideas and tips or email us a recipe: WLRNMIA@gmail.com.

To accompany our Invasive Species Cookbook , we are also posting the potential health risks of eating certain invasive species and how to possibly mitigate those risks.

A team of scientists from around the country recently spent two days off the coast of South Florida to investigate the explosion of lionfish.

What they found was shocking. Why?

Because there’s a war going on and the indomitable lionfish are winning.

These voracious predators are known to invade the shallows of coral reef. They’re dangerous because they ruin the habitat and eat juvenile spiny lobsters, snappers, groupers, tarpon and bonefish - all valuable marine species humans rely on.